Battle Field in Mind
by AkurnaSkulblaka
Summary: The American Civil War is raging around him, and Naruto doesn't think he can continue staining his hands for the sake of rebuilding the Union. He comes home to a surprisingly bratty teen his parents have taken in, and the mental battle recedes. AU/yaoi
1. Prologue  Gettysburg

** This is another fic that was originally a homework assignment for my history class. Well, I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you guys! Here it is~**

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><p><span>Battlefield in Mind<span>

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><p>The thing that bothered me about this war was the reason for fighting. The Civil War is not only taking all able bodied men into the fray; it was also taking the lives of young, innocent men that had nothing to do with the ancestors of our past that brought the slaves to our country. The war is taking our future generation and separating it into two conflicting halves. Yes, the fighting might be for the Union and rebuilding it to its former glory, but the sacrifices and prices that came with the constant battle were much too high. At least for my likings.<p>

With this thought in mind I went into the skirmish of the Gettysburg battle, flinching away from the many bullets that whizzed past a hairsbreadth from my head. No birds chirped here, the ambiance that surrounded me was of gun shots and war-cries. The fog that had permeated the air had long since faded. I lifted my gun and took aim and with a hard pressure of my index finger I sent the cylindrical piece of lead through the air to bury itself somewhere in another soldier's chest. I cried out as a bayonet was stabbed into my thigh and whirled around, a hand clamped on my hamstring to staunch the bleeding. The man that stabbed my leg lunged haphazardly at me, his grey uniform flapping in the wind. His gun was poised ready to stab; he must've been out of bullets for he wasn't riddling me with holes. I sidestepped the attack and took a hold of the gun, ramming it backwards into the confederate's forehead, the hard wood slamming into the softer bone. I pulled the gun from him, flipped it in my hands and when the man collapsed holding his raven haired head in pain I stabbed him through the heart. I had a second weapon to use, but at a price. My leg was wounded and I couldn't maneuver as I could before.

The weight of what I had done reigned heavily upon my heart. That was no well trained, battle seasoned warrior. He was an inexperienced amateur, fresh from the arms of his mother. He was most likely taken from his house and home to take on men that were war hardened savages. I shook the thought from my head. I couldn't have such distracting thoughts in my head if I wished to survive to live another day. There was no reason to want to, I thought as I plunged the sharpened point I held into another man's abdomen, survive that is. Not with this meaningless existence, alive only to fight. Blood spurted from the wound as the man's diaphragm flexed when he screamed. It coated my hands and face, trickling into my navy blue

uniform, till it was smeared by my movements. I whipped a hand through my hair to clear the blonde locks from my forehead, smearing blood along my forehead and hairline. My mind was pounding from all the mutinous thoughts running through my head, and my leg was pulsing painfully with the beat of my hammering heart. A bullet buried itself into my stomach. My chest felt like it was going to explode as I screamed. I dropped the murderous gun I had acquired and sank to my knees, gripping the wound in my stomach. I collapsed onto my front. I gritted my teeth only to gasp as a war horse leapt over the entire length of my body landing fearfully close to my feet so that I could feel the vibrations of its hooves' crushing contact with the ground. My breathing became ragged and my vision blurred. With one last painful sigh I let darkness overtake my senses.

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><p>"He's awake!"<p>

"Get him some water and clean bandages, now!" I groggily opened my eyes, realizing the pain in my abdomen. I was alive.

"What happened?" I croaked after the water they had given me disappeared down my parched throat.

"We found you, half dead." The medic said as he helped me up to wrap me with new bandages. I groaned as the pain in my abdomen increased. "Damn it all. I mean _what happened_?" the medic looked taken aback and said; "What do you mean?" I took shallow breaths as he rewrapped my bandages. "Did we win, or did we lose?" I asked. "We lost." The medic replied. He finished wrapping the clean bandages, and left to get something and I didn't know or care what it was.

I looked down at my clean hands, knowing that underneath the scarred, pink skin resided the blood of the men I had killed. And the weight of knowing I would have to stain them even more crushed me into a heavy slumber once again.

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><p><strong>I may or may not continue it. Depending on the feedback I get then I'll add more chapters.<strong>


	2. Chapter 1  Return Home

**Well I decided to continue it anyway. Even if I didn't get much feedback, the idea wouldn't leave my head :3**

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><p>CHAPTER 1<p>

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><p>"What is your name, soldier?" Colonel Ahntrum, not the worst colonel to ever reside in the ranks of the Union army, but he certainly had a firm and strict policy of following the higher ups. So that meant no neglect on our part.<p>

"Naruto Uzumaki, sir!" I said with a gesticulating salute.

"Strange name… origin?"

"My mother was American and my father Japanese, sir." I said remembering my mother and father that I had left behind in Ohio, letting my hand fall back down to my side I looked at Colonel Ahntrum.

"They alive, son?" the man asked, gripping his wrists behind his back, his blue uniform stretching over his broad chest.

"Yes, they are." I said

"General Grant heard of your near death in Gettysburg. He's decided to give you leave of absence so you can return home, rest and come back rejuvenated and ready to fight for your country again. We already sent a letter to your parents in Cleveland." The colonel said as he sat back down at his desk.

"When do I return, sir?" I asked, the prospect of getting to see my parents again had my body strumming with contained energy that I hadn't had in weeks, since before Gettysburg.

"You have one month before we send a message telling you to return and you will head to the location sent to you in the letter." The colonel leaned forward in his cushioned seat, "You have served your country well, Naruto, hold your head up because you have done well in slaying our enemies. Leave as soon as you can. You have a good day, soldier." he said and dismissed me with a nod of his head.

_Hold your head up because you have done well in slaying our enemies. _

I didn't like that statement, not at all. It only reminded me of the resentment of the war that lived within me. All the bloodshed for the mere use of slaves was wrong in so many different ways. And because of it I had to slaughter fellow Americans that, despite the side they chose were still a part of our country. But it had to be done, refusing was out of the question, I loved my country too much. Winning the war would stop the bloodshed.

When I returned to the squad barracks I was greeted warmly by, I had the privilege to say, my good friend Christofer Hawk. "Naruto, my good man! How did the meeting with the Colonel go?" he said, patting a hand on my shoulder and shaking me slightly.

"It went well, I've gotten one month leave and I can return home. I'm leaving at dawn." I said with a satisfied grin. I was overjoyed at the expectation of seeing my family again.

"Well how about you have dinner with the boys before you leave, I heard the slop is extra good tonight." He said as he led me to eat. We went to where one of the cooks was serving tin bowls of slop from a large metal pot, a fire lit beneath it to keep it warm.

"Alright," I said as we sat down with a loaf of half-stale bread and a tin of the meaty, overcooked scraps that lower ranking men got to eat for three meals a day.

"Where do your parents live again, Naruto?" one of the soldiers at the table asked around a mouthful of slop. I sighed.

"Johnny boy don't talk with your mouth full, and they live in Cleveland." I said after swallowing my bite of food.

"That's a long ways to go. And don't call me Johnny boy." Johnny said immediately shoving a spoonful of slop into his mouth.

We chewed in silence before Christofer swallowed and spoke; "We might not be in the same squad when you come back, you know." he said.

I took a bite of bread and champed contemplatively. "I'd prefer it if you didn't think that way, but yes, it is a possibility." I said a last. I would be leaving for an entire month, in my absence I could be unknowingly changed in squad position, and I had no choice but to listen and follow orders. But on the off chance that it didn't happen I would return and it would be like normal. I really hoped for that. The men I fought with… when we fought we fought in sync. We knew to watch the others' back, and to attack at the best time, considering the other eight members of the squad.

"There's no reason to sulk, I doubt it'll happen. I was just being an ass when I mentioned it." Christofer said, when he'd finished his meal and was scraping the last bits of liver from the bowl with his spoon. I would never understand his love for slop. It wasn't very good, but it got us by and that's all that really mattered. I couldn't wait for a home cooked meal.

I got up and took my dishes to the wash bin and rinsed them with the murky water before putting them on the rack to be more thoroughly cleaned later. I asked the cook for food provisions, telling him of the journey I had to take to get home. He gave me some dried meats, cheese and two fairly fresh loaves of bread. I walked back over to Christofer and patted his back. "I'll see you when I return." And left to go sleep.

When I woke up the next morning I immediately left the barracks to eat, before I prepared for my departure.

After I finished my meal I went to my cot where I packed a sack with food, bullets and a gutting knife. I changed out of my uniform and into a worn cotton shirt and brown riding pants. I folded the blue uniform and put it in my sack. I would need it for when I came back. Grabbing my water skin I walked out to the pump and filled it. I went to the stables and chose a horse, a chestnut named Spur. Once I had the colt saddled and bridled I led it out of the stables. Mounting, I steered the horse to the west side of the camp. I said goodbye to the Harrisburg camp and headed west toward Cleveland, the rising Sun behind me. It was a three day trip, not long, but I had far to go.

I rode from dawn to dusk at a slow easy pace, so as not to tire the horse. I had stopped for lunch whereupon the horse grazed on the forest shrubs while I ate the cheese and some of the bread. Re-wrapping the rest of the food I'd set off again.

Now I sat in front of a warm fire brandishing a thick stick and the rest of the first loaf of bread. Spur was tied to a low branch behind me. I stirred the fire before I unrolled my blanket. Laying down on it I rested my temple on my bicep and slept.

At sunrise the next morning I woke up refreshed and slightly sore from a day's riding on horseback. Kicking dirt onto the embers of the dying fire and untying Spur from the branch, I mounted and looked at my compass I was still heading in the general northwest direction that I had to go.

~ **NaruSasu** ~

The horse plodded on, I had to make a long detour to get through the Appalachian Mountains, by following a river that carved the landscape. I took a great breath of relief when I broke the edge of the range. Once there we stopped for the third night and I kept the fire strong to ward off potential predators. I slept uncomfortably, the jagged rocks digging into me from beneath the blanket.

The fourth afternoon I was glad to see the edge of Cleveland on the horizon. My parents lived on the far side beside a large field of corn. I could just imagine the quaint little house backed by corn stalks.

I dismounted when I came upon a small shop where I could buy new clothes. I didn't want to come home in rags. Buying a cream cotton shirt and black riding pants, I changed into them and paid. The pants didn't cost much but the shirt did. With cotton being so scarce it was expensive.

When I finally reached the edge of town I could see the cornfield and the small white patch that was the house. I urged Spur on until we were at a canter and speeding over the worn dirt road. I waved a hand when I could make out my parents standing in front of the house.

"Father! Mother! I'm home!" I screamed at the top of my lungs after letting go of the reins and waving my hands in the air almost standing in saddle. I dropped my hands when Spur reached the end of the road and walked onto the gravelly driveway. I dismounted and quickly ran to hug my mother and father. I held Kushina's face in my hands. "Mother! I'm so glad to be back, oh _Lord _am I glad!" I said hugging her smaller form to my chest. Minato hugged both and we shared a moment to enjoy being in each other's arms. After I took a step back to admire the two I said; "You two glad to see me?"

"Yes. My little boy is finally home!" Kushina said as she held my face in her hands. She turned my face so she could kiss my cheek and I noticed someone standing at the porch steps. He was young, certainly a great deal younger than my twenty-seven years, and he had pale skin that contrasted greatly with his black hair. He had on a worn flannel with brown pants and a pair of old boots. I remembered the clothes from when I was still living with my parents.

He seemed to sense my stare because he lifted his head and looked at me. He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest, looking to the side with his nose in the air. I could tell he was a brat. No older than eighteen. My parents seemed to have noticed the exchange for Minato spoke; "Naruto, this is Sasuke. We found him a year after you left. He's been staying here since." he said, he beckoned Sasuke over, to which Sasuke immediately complied and walked down the porch steps to join us.

"Sasuke, this is my son, Naruto. You remember the stories we told you of our son?" Minato said, placing a hand on both our shoulders. Sasuke nodded, finally seeming to drop his bratty demeanor and looking me in the eyes. He held out a hand, which I took in mine and I noticed that it wasn't calloused like mine were, even when I lived with my parents. I figured they didn't make him work much.

"Sasuke," I said, testing the name on my tongue, "A pleasure to meet you, Sasuke." I added.

"I'm sure it is." He said icily and walked back into the house.

"Oh don't mind him, Naruto." Kushina said placing a comforting hand on my bicep. "He's just not used to people. I won't tell you his story because it's not mine to tell, but if you are patient he'll warm up to you."

"Why don't you and Kushina head into the house while I tend to your horse." Minato said as he reached to take the reins from my hand.

"No, father I'll do it I—" Minato lifted a hand.

"Nonsense. You have travelled long and far. You need rest. Go on." He said motioning toward the house, before leading the horse to the barn. Spur would be lonely, the horse we had died years before I left, and if Minato was going keep him in the barn that meant that they hadn't bought a new one there being only one stall. I would have to make sure to visit him.

When I walked through the front door I was hit with an intense wave of familiarity. The house was much the same; the kitchen with a large wash basin on the far right corner; living room with overstuffed upholstery. The hallway that led to the bedrooms was decorated by a woolen rug. "Go rest, you need it." Kushina said, patting my back. I walked down the hall to my old bedroom. It was different. Then I remembered that Sasuke was living here. He obviously had taken my room, or he wouldn't have been in there sulking. His head turned quickly at the heavy sound of my boots hitting the wooden floor as I approached the bed. It was a bunk-bed now. He sat on the top.

"You're not getting the top bunk." Sasuke said turning to look at something on the bed beside him.

"How old are you?" I asked, incredulously. He faced me and glared hotly.

"I'm nineteen." He said.

I laughed. "What?" he yelled, glaring, obviously annoyed by the loud guffaws escaping my mouth.

"What's wrong with you? I'm a man that's not to be laughed at." he asked after I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.

"You sure don't act like a man… getting all possessive over a top bunk." I said, before letting out another chuckle when the raven hissed indignantly and slumped down on his bed, face first in the wool pillow case. I pulled off my boots and shirt before sitting on the bed. I was startled when Sasuke's face appeared beside mine. He was leaning over the side of the bed. I saw his eyes drag over my upper body. My muscles clenched in sync with his gaze. He looked back into my eyes.

"You better not snore." And with that he lifted his head up and collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh. I grinned before lying down on the soft, fabric covered hay and falling into a deep, much needed sleep.

_Naruto ran through the dense forest. He needed to run _faster._ His life depended on it. But he was just so tired, his legs burned with the effort of sprinting through the shrubs on the forest ground. He used his arms to cover his face as he ran, the branches and needle like twigs leaving stinging cuts along his forearms. He could hear the cries behind him. He nearly tripped when a bullet buried itself into a tree, just feet in front of him spraying bark and dust into the air. _

_He kept running if they caught up they would kill him for sure. He knew that if he got close enough the camp they would leave him alone. He'd never been so scared in all his twenty-three years. _

_He cried out when a bullet hit his calf and he collapsed on the ground, screaming in pain. Another shot landed on his arm. How they could shoot him while he was on the ground was something he wouldn't understand till later on in his life. _

_He vaguely wondered if it was the end and hoped the afterlife was pleasant. He heard screams coming from the direction he had been heading and hope shot through him. _

_They were coming for him! The Union! Relief flooded through him until another bullet hit him in the collarbone and he blearily opened his eyes to see a confederate standing above him. He cocked his gun, then dropped it, the blade on the end carving a deep furrow in the dirt beside Naruto's head. Naruto at first didn't understand what had happened but when the man looked in the direction the Union soldiers were coming from and held a hand tight against his arm, he understood. The confederate left, leaving the gun behind. Naruto stared at it. This weapon would have been the end of him.  
>Staring at the gun, Naruto lost consciousness. <em>

I woke up suddenly, the image of that gun in my mind. It had been the first of many battles I'd had to be in. And it had scared the hell out of me. Shaking my head to clear the thoughts I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I fingered the scar on my collarbone. The skin was smoother and slightly raised. I jumped again when Sasuke leaned over the side of the bed and looked at me.

"You don't snore. But you make noises." he said, "Were you having a nightmare?" his tone was taunting.

"I suppose you could call it that. It was of my first time coming close to death." I said. Leaning my elbows on my knees and letting my hands fall between them. I heard Sasuke gasp lightly, before he spoke. "I'm sorry, that was out of line." He said and picked his head up. He jumped off the side of the bed and turned to look at me. He was small. Too small to be in the army, it seemed. That was probably the reason he wasn't in the army along with me. That, or my parents had hidden him after they found him. He seemed delicate. I stood up. He was a half a foot shorter that my six feet, and his slight body seemed almost childlike next to my bulky form. I felt like a behemoth. I chuckled lightly making him look up at me. The laugh died in my throat. He had the darkest eyes, not only in the sense of color, they were dark because they held dark secrets. This intrigued me.

"B—breakfast is sure to be ready." he stuttered out suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts. He seemed nervous.

"Yes let's go eat." I said and followed him out of the room. The smell of sizzling eggs and bacon was the first thing that hit my nose. I saw my mother over the oven holding an iron skillet with a rag so as not to burn her hands and using a wooden spoon to flip the bacon strips. I walked over and put my head over her shoulder. There was a plate of cooling bacon beside the skillet and I reached out to nab a strip. The wooden spoon made a sharp contact with my hand and I yelped.

"Naruto, when will you ever learn? No matter how many times you try, you'll never get past me." Kushina said as she served the last of the bacon on the plate. Taking the bacon and eggs she took them to the table. "Now, if you want to eat, go milk the cow." She added. Minato laughed from his place at the head of the table.

"Yes mother," I said a goofily happy grin splitting my face. I grabbed the milk bucket from beside the oven and began walking to the door.

"You too, Sasuke, go help him." My mother added. Sasuke walked from the hallway were he had been standing. "Yes, Kushina." He said and followed me out the door to the barn.

I rinsed the bucket out in the pump at the front of the house. Then I opened the barn door and was greeted with a familiar scent of hay, dust and manure.

"There's Daisy." Sasuke said pointing to a brown patched cow that was happily eating hay. I walked over to her and after I placed the bucket beneath the udder, washed the nipples with a wet rag that Sasuke handed me. I grasped the teats gently and squeezed the base softly with my thumb and forefinger. I kept squeezing each of my fingers around the nipple until my entire hand was holding the teat. A steady stream of milk flowed from the tip to fall into the bucket, making a metallic tinkling sound.

"When did you join the army?" Sasuke asked while I continued milking the cow.

"When I was a year younger than you. Eighteen. I joined before the war started." I said. He nodded.

"Minato and Kushina hid me from the Recruiters. Well, they managed to for a while, last time they found me. But they said I was too scrawny to join and that I wouldn't do any good." He said angrily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well just be glad you haven't joined. It's nothing to take lightly. War is something you want to stay far from." I said when the two teats were pliant and not filled with milk. I grabbed the bucket and handed it to Sasuke. Then said; "Hold on for a second" and walked over to the back of the barn. Spur stuck his head from out of the stall and whinnied softly. It touched his velvety nose and he jerked his head up into my hand. I heard a gasp from behind me and I turned.

"He's so beautiful!" Sasuke said, his dark eyes glittering. "C—can I touch him?" he asked looking at me hopefully.

"Sure, don't worry about making sudden moves he'll take it like a war horse."

He reached out a hesitant hand. Spur nickered lowly, impatient. I took a hold of Sasuke's hand and led it to the horse's nose. Slowly, still gripping his hand in mine, I dragged his palm over the horse's forehead. Gaining confidence, Sasuke ran his hand up and dug his fingers into the thick forelock that hung between Spur's eyes. The younger man was delighted when Spur let out a high pitched neigh because he scratched behind his ears.

"I've never touched a horse. I've seen them through the window when the Recruiters came to find me, but that was all." Sasuke said when he stopped scratching. Spur retreated inside the stall where he chomped on more hay.

"If you've never ridden a horse, I'll be glad to let you have a ride on Spur." I said as I picked up the bucket of milk. When I looked back up Sasuke was smiling slightly, "I'd like that. Thank-you." he said, following me out of the barn. He stopped to wait for me as I closed the barn doors.

"About time you returned!" Minato said from where he was sitting at the table. "Hurry and sit down, I'm hungry." he added, waving us over. I handed to bucket of milk to Kushina who poured its contents into four tin cups. I helped her set them on the table before sitting down across from Sasuke. I looked at him and smiled and he gave me a small smile in return. We passed the plates around serving ourselves before eating heartily. When done I leaned back and patted my full stomach. I let out a large belch muffling it with my fist.

"Mother you have no idea how much I missed your cooking."

"Oh really? Why is that.?" She asked, before she daintily lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth. I laughed.

"Well dear mother, slop can only get you so far." I said making Minato laugh out loud.

"That must be horrifying."

Sasuke looked confused and then asked; "What is slop?"

"Well, Sasuke, it's the food of the lowly infantrymen." I said.

"What is it made out of?" he asked, still confused.

"Slop is the scrap meat, leftovers from the higher-ups." I said, chuckling when a fairly disgusted look crossed his face. He looked childlike with his nose scrunched up and his eyebrows meeting in a petulant frown. Kushina got up from the table and began gathering the dishes to clean them in the wash basin.

"Naruto will you fill up the basin for me?" she asked as she set the plates down on the small table beside the basin, which she picked up by the handles and passed to me. I filled the basin half way and walked back into the house, where I placed the metal bin where it belonged, allowing my mother to begin washing the dishes. "Thank-you darling." she said as she scrubbed a plate with a rag.

I looked back at the table to see that my father was gone and only Sasuke remained, who glanced up at me. I smiled.

"N—Naruto. Can we go ride now?" he asked, reminding me of the promise I had made him in the barn.

"Let's saddle up."

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><p><strong>Ugh what a cheezzzy way to end the chapter, I know. Just bear with me I didn't know where to stop! I'll probably(hopefully) get this done within the month, so be on the lookout for long(er) chapters and, well, moderate updates. I wouldn't say fast, I don't want to give you guys anything rushed. WELL! Hope you liked!<strong>

**Don't forget to take a minute of your time to leave me a review! They help greatly in encouraging me to write. *coughfasterupdatescough***

**AkurnaSkulblaka**


	3. Chapter 2  Horseback Riding

**Here's chapter 2 hope you didn't wait long! I **_**also **_**hope that people are actually reading this story :(**

**Warnings: For the whole story? Fluff! Sex! FLUFF! :D For this chapter? A little sad I guess, angsty Naruto. D:**

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><p>CHAPTER 2<p>

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><p>~<strong> Sasuke <strong>~

I watched as Naruto slipped the forelock and ears of the horse behind the brow band. Putting on the bridle looked tricky. Shoving a metal bar into an animal's _mouth_ didn't seem to appeal to me. Although riding on its back seemed fine, I thought. Naruto seemed to take a moment to double check the saddle tightness by grabbing a hold of the leather strap and pulling hard. The leather of the saddle was lightly oiled to stop it from cracking in the sun's punishing rays so it gleamed despite the small amount of light filtering through the barn doors. Naruto shook the saddle and then looked pleased. He led the horse out of the barn, I followed closely behind.

"Let's get you on, stand right here." He said indicating the spot beside its monstrous flank. "Put your left foot in the stirrup and grab onto the saddle horn. Now pull yourself up and swing your other leg over the back of the horse. That's it." He patted my thigh in a friendly gesture, before putting his own foot in the stirrup and mounting, albeit with much more ease. Once he was seated firmly behind me he wrapped strong arms around my waist to take the reins from my hands. I felt enclosed in his arms. Comfortable. I felt like I could get used to it as he led the horse down the dirt road to the town.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked. His voice was deep beside my ear and made a slight shiver run down my spine.

"I—it's nice, I like it." I managed to stutter out, smiling even though I knew he couldn't see it.

He flicked the reins and the horse sped up, my pulse along with it. We bounced slightly in the saddle in time with the horse's trot. The horse's hooves made a muffled sound on the dirt road. He turned his head and his nose brushed against the hair on the back of my head. With a mumbled 'sorry' he pulled the left rein and turned the horse to go back home.

"He really enjoyed it." I heard Naruto telling his mother later that night. I lay on my bed, and listened to Naruto's enthusiastic talk drifting from his parent's room into ours. "I'm certain he wants to do it again."

Yes. Yes I did, very much so. I couldn't wait till the next time we went horseback riding.

~ **NaruSasu** ~

The next time we went on horseback was two days after the first time. We spent those two days talking and sharing stories. I didn't have much to tell. But what I did tell, Naruto listened attentively, laughing uproariously when I told him of my first time picking black walnuts and the fit I had thrown because of my black stained hands. The dye from the nut hulls had stayed on my hands for weeks afterward.

"Yes, I remember when I was young I tried to climb that same tree to get the walnuts off the top branches." Naruto said, sharing a story of his own; "Minato roared about how I would harm the tree and Kushina screeched at the top of her mighty lungs that if I didn't fall and break my neck, when I got down she would do it herself." He finished with a hearty chuckle.

A few days afterwards Naruto taught me to shuck corn and perform other tasks around the barn that I'd been deprived of in past years. Especially since the war started, I had to stay in the house and out of sight in case the Recruiters came searching for potential soldiers. I knew how to clean because Kushina had taught me, mostly to help her but also to keep me busy. Spending the time with Naruto made me happy. Happier than I'd ever thought I would be.

Whenever he looked at me I forgot how to breathe, or whatever I was saying seemed to be pushed from my mind to be replaced with the look of those blue eyes. I had no idea what was happening to me. I would lose focus and then Naruto would wave a hand in front of my face and laugh when I snapped back into attention. I would chuckle embarrassedly and diligently continue with the task I'd been doing before I had lost my concentration.

The third time we rode Spur Naruto made me tie the saddle while he stood behind me leading my hands where they were to go. The heat of his body behind me and every very brush of his hands against mine sent my heart fluttering in my chest. We'd ridden out behind the house, along the edge of the cornfield.

Toward the evening we sat beside the road, the horse loosely tied to one of the corn stalks, eating bread that Kushina had given us for the trip and talking about the many battles that Naruto had experienced.

"Well, he took one of my guns from my hands, and hit me across the face with the butt. It hurt like hell but when his arms were busy it gave me the chance to give him a mouth full of lead." Naruto said. He looked saddened. I on the other hand was elated. War stories! From a true war hero! Oh lord was I happy.

"I can't believe it! I wish I could be in a war. It must be so exciting and exhilarating. I wish the recruiters would have taken me wi—" I stopped talking when Naruto reached a hand out and wrapped it around the back of my neck. He pulled me roughly forward and crushed my mouth to his, effectively quieting my rambling. My eyes widened and my breath was lodged in my throat. I gasped when he pulled back slightly. The kiss was fleeting but intense, leaving me wanting.

"Don't talk like that, Sasuke." The statement started out strong but grew softer so that my name was just a breath on his lips. He leaned his head on my shoulder and wrapped his muscled arms around my body crushing me to him.

"You'd be like the countless other boys that were taken from their homes and led to war unprepared. _I_ almost died; imagine you going out to war." He said into my shoulder. "I killed a boy that looked a lot like you; young with dark hair and eyes. He was bound to have ambitions and dreams and _a longing to live._ And I put all of those to rest with a single thrust of my blade. I can't stand to see young confederates die; imagine me seeing someone I care for pulled from my clutches by the hands of Death. _No!_ I couldn't bare it."

He pulled me even closer, till I felt smothered by his bulky frame. One thought recurred in my mind; _someone I care for_. I shook my head to clear it. "D—do you care for me?" I asked.

"Of course." No hesitation.

He kissed my shoulder, a soft touch of the lips, and heat pooled in my abdomen. "Naruto…" I gasped when his hand ran up my thigh going up to finally rest on the small of my back. It stayed there, like a hot brand, burning into my skin. He pulled me onto his crossed legs and removed his head from my shoulder. I looked down at him; his blonde hair glowed in the light of the setting sun. Blue eyes looked up at me filled with caring.

I placed my hands on his scarred cheeks and leaned down to press my lips to his. He responded instantly, as if he could kiss away my desire to go to war. If I went to war, as inexperienced as I was, I would die for sure. If Naruto, a hardened warrior could have come so close to death in battle, I would surely die. That would mean I wouldn't have my family… and I wouldn't have Naruto.

"Promise me," Naruto whispered when he pulled back, "that you won't go looking for the recruiters." He kissed me again, harder this time.

"Yes, I promise." I said between starved kisses. He rested his forehead on mine and looked into my eyes.

"Thank-you, Sasuke. You've given me peace of mind." He said with a chuckle. I cleared my throat, suddenly nervous.

"W—we should go back home. It's getting late." I said.

"That is probably best." He said as he gently pushed me from on top of him. I got up from the ground and shakily mounted the horse. When Naruto had mounted and his arms wrapped around my body I let out a satisfied sigh. I held on to the saddle horn while Naruto led Spur back home.

When we made it to the barn Naruto and I dismounted and the blonde led Spur back into the barn to be untacked and given water. When he came back out it was dark and the stars were shimmering in the sky. He walked till he was standing in front of me and looked down at me. He placed one calloused hand on my cheek, followed by the other one.

"I knew there was something about you." He said, as he rubbed his thumbs over my cheekbones, eyelids, eyebrows, lips. My opened when I felt his lips on mine, only to slip shut as I kissed back.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here?" Minato cackled like it was all a big joke that we had been caught. Kushina gave him a resounding smack and his mirth died down. "Sorry darling." He mumbled with a cough.

I looked at Naruto to see him with a blush on his face. I chuckled. "Why the blush Naruto?" I asked playfully. He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"It's you who has a rosy tint on your cheeks, _Sasuke_." When I laughed he grabbed me and dug his knuckles into the top if my head. I laughed. I laughed like I hadn't in a while.

I was breathless and flushed when he stopped I turned in his embrace and kissed him soundly. I found that I liked kissing Naruto. I'd never known what to think when I saw Minato kiss Kushina quickly on the lips. Kissing Naruto changed my mind rather quickly.

"Let's go inside and have supper; it's on the table and getting cold." Kushina said, grabbing her husband's hand, leading him into the house. I looked at Naruto. He was looking at the house with a fond smile on his face.

"Let's go inside." He said, and took my hand, leading me inside, too.

~ **NaruSasu** ~

There came a point in my life where I began to fall in love. I had no idea at the moment, but I believe it's that way with all of us. We didn't realize the love was planted till the seed had grown into a sapling. Once that seed sprouted, it took a lot to uproot it. Well love was sprouting in me.

The night Naruto confirmed that my feelings were not unrequited was one preceded by an eventful trip to Cleveland and a drink in a pub. Naruto gave me my first taste of bourbon. I didn't like it. It burned so I smacked Naruto into the bar table. The men in the pub laughed loudly.

"That little bitch got ya! Eh Naruto?" came a voice from the men sitting in the corner. Instantly Naruto's happy demeanor morphed into something akin to a soldier. In a rage. Well, that was what he was, a soldier. He turned and walked in the direction of the man's voice. He was still talking.

"That bitch sure can—" he was stopped mid-sentence by Naruto's fist. There was a sickening crack as his head hit the table. The man grunted and wiped at the blood leaking from his broken nose. It didn't help, only smearing the fluid into his moustache and lips.

"It's not _nice_ to talk about people like that. You question a man's masculinity by calling them a _bitch._ Think twice before you do it next time." With that Naruto turned and walked to me.

"Follow behind me and look straight ahead. Don't make eye contact with anyone." He whispered then turned, walking toward the two swinging doors at the front. I stayed close behind Naruto and kept my eyes on the patterns of his flannel.

Once we were on Spur and heading out of the town I began to relax. We walked along the cornfields, down the dirt road toward our house.

"I'm sorry." I said, talking in the blonde's rigid body behind mine as anger.

"Why?" he asked, seemingly puzzled.

"I shouldn't have challenged your authority like I did." I said. I was the smaller and younger of the two of us. Naruto was dominant. I was surprised when Naruto placed a small kiss on my shoulder. "It's alright." His hand came up and unfastened the first three buttons on my shirt before one of those hot hands slipped the collar off my shoulder. His tongue laved the skin where my neck met shoulder. Shivers wracked my frame and a quiet moan escaped my lips. I felt my body heating up and a pulsing began in my lower body as my penis filled with blood. A hand caressed down my arm and perched itself on top of my hands where they sat on the saddle horn. The tongue on my shoulder continued its delightful exploration.

The hand drifted from the saddle horn and towards my stomach making my body quake with anticipatory glee. All I could do was focus on the tanned hand that slipped into my cotton pants. It gripped my swelling organ and pumped it slowly. I leaned my head back onto Naruto's shoulder and groaned heavily. I felt kind of strange doing something so intimate while riding a horse. Suddenly Naruto pulled his hands from my body and lifted them to button up the buttons of my shirt.

"We'll finish this later tonight." Naruto said making me groan in frustration.

He was asserting his lost dominance. I was sure of it. I demoralized his virility, he had to take it, augment it and return it to its proper pedestal.

He spurred the horse on and we trotted down the road. Once we reached the house Naruto dismounted and quickly pulled me off the horse. Twilight loomed above our heads as we led the horse into the barn where Naruto untacked him.

"Let's go." He said, grabbing a hold of my arm and pulling me towards the back of the house. I was unsurprised when he passed the house and walked into the cornfields. We couldn't very well do it in the house, not while Minato and Kushina were there.

He led me deeper into the plantation of corn; the only thing allowing me to see were the strong rays of moonlight drifting in through the leafy stalks. Once we stopped it was in between two of the rows of corn. Naruto unfolded a blanket I hadn't noticed he had and spread it down on the ground. He walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hooked another beneath my knees, picking me up from the ground. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he began walking back to the blanket. He kneeled and set me down carefully. No sooner had my head hit the blanket did Naruto place his hands on my cheeks rubbing calloused thumbs over my pale cheeks.

"Naruto?" I prompted, squeezing my arms tighter around his broad shoulders. He looked into my eyes and slowly leaned forward to kiss my lips. It was a gentle kiss. His firm lips moved against my soft pliant ones and I felt I would burst. Lights exploded behind my closed eyelids and arousal made my body feel hot. I slipped my fingers into his blonde hair and rubbed through the golden locks.

He deftly unbuttoned my shirt and slipped it off of my slim shoulders. Tan hands explored the contours of my body mapping out every dip and crevasse. Strong fingers pinched my nipples and I let out a moan as heat gathered in my belly. Our kiss was broken when Naruto leaned back to pull off his shirt revealing his muscled torso to my greedy eyes. He leaned back down and instead of kissing my lips again he kissed along my jawline, he stopped to suck on my collarbone before migrating south so that his mouth hovered over my left pectoral. He licked the skin above my nipple then licked the pink nub itself making me groan in satisfaction.

"Naruto."

~ **Naruto** ~

"_Naruto._"

The groan that escaped Sasuke's lips went straight to my groin. The cool night air did little to hinder the heat that seemed to encompass our bodies despite the cold that pricked at our skin like bees. I licked a pink nipple and leaned back and watched in fascination as the temperature difference made the little bud tighten. I moved over to the other one and repeated the process, again watching as the contrast of my hot mouth and the cold air hardened the nipple. Finished with the display I moved down with little nips and kisses until I reached his belly button. My tongue delved inside the small hole, eliciting a gasp from the raven below me. I kissed down his navel while untying the drawstring of his pants pushing them down. I sat back on my claves, looking away only to untie his shoes and push them off along with the pants.

I looked back at Sasuke, taking in the flushed features, raven hair framing a slim face, pale skin glistening with a sweaty luster in the moonlight that seeped through the leaves. His black eyes looked up at me glazed with lust. Holding that gaze I slipped my hands in between his thighs and stroked the hard organ there. Sasuke groaned and spread his legs farther apart, his back arching when I ran a thumb over the swollen head. I put three fingers into my mouth and licked them to coat them in my saliva.

I kissed my way down his inner thigh to his twitching entrance. Sasuke moaned when I flicked my tongue over his tight hole. I dipped it in and pulled out imitating the role of my larger appendage. I pulled back and moved to his sac licking it lustily before gently sucking one of his sensitive spheres into my mouth. Sasuke buried a long fingered hand into my hair and gripped the strands tightly when I slowly inserted a finger into his aperture.

I released the ball and licked my way to the head of his penis while putting in a second and scissoring the fingers to widen his opening. My tongue circled the tip before I took it into my mouth and sucked softly. Sasuke moaned and a second hand plunged into my hair, tugging the strands hard.

He sat up while pulling me off his penis and up to his lips where he kissed me softly. One of his hands released my hair and traveled down to stop and the hem of my pants and tug at the string on my pants freeing the knot and allowing my pants to fall around my knees. I laid him back onto the blanket and kicked off my pants before kissing him again. He let me lead when I took a hold of my swollen organ and led it to his prepared opening. His face contorted in pain when my girth stretched him and filled him, I was doing it slowly but it was still painful for him. I littered his face with light kisses and spoke in a soothing voice. "It'll be okay, Sasuke. It _will_ get better."

~** Sasuke **~

Naruto stopped for a moment letting me get accustomed to him inside me. There was a gasp that I relished when he pulled out and pushed back in. His hand drifted over my stomach leaving a fiery trail of need in its wake. Oh lord, I felt like I could never leave this state of mindless want and desire. Over and over he drove into me, setting a pace that was sure to drive me crazy. Cries fled my mouth uninhibited and uncontrolled and accompanied by Naruto's own sounds of pleasure made a symphony of ecstasy for the surrounding world to hear.

I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to see Naruto looking down at me, a look of love and delight on his face. After my eyes slid closed I held the picture in my mind and I never thought I would see a portrait quite so picturesque. I wished I could capture it in a photo or painting. A sense of satisfaction flowed through me and I felt instantly happy that I could at least keep the image in my mind as a simple memory. I gasped when a particular thrust hit a spot inside me sending pleasure coursing up my spine and making my muscles tense as I came closer to my orgasm.

"Oh god Naruto," I sobbed, "do it again!"

Naruto changed the angles of his thrusts grazing that spot recurrently. The pleasure increased and my body felt like it was going to explode. There was a coil. Deep in my body and I could feel it tightening little by little with each thrust of Naruto's hips. A hand wrapped around my dripping erection and the coil snapped.

"Naruto!"

**You know, I've been thinking that if I would have started the story off with **_**Sasuke**_** being in the war, he and Naruto would have been a lot less OOC… **

**I really hope the lemon was alright. It was my first time doing a lemon in first person. Not to mention this is in the mid-1800s so the word 'cock' wasn't used except in reference to a rooster… and I know it's cliché but I didn't know how else to make reference to a man's penis besides 'member' D: To tell you the truth this was really hard :/**

**America's first blowjob? :O**

**REVIEW! **

**AkurnaSkulblaka**


	4. Chapter 3 Bloody

**Early update! Here's the last chapter! **

CHAPTER 3

"Fredrick, you need to calm down!"

"No! That fuck hit me across the face for pointing out that his bitch was a bitch."

"Why are you so riled up about this?"

"Because! I _will _kill him and his little bitch, too."

"Fredrick! Damn it, there he goes."

~ **Naruto** ~

I awoke slowly, at a leisurely pace my eyes opened and I took in the dawn light. I heaved a sigh and looked down at the top of Sasuke's head. I wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer so that his back was pressing to my front. I kissed his hair and buried my nose in the dark locks. This boy; small, delicate but strong willed; captured my heart. Of this I was sure. It was irrefutable, I loved him.

"I love you." I whispered into his hair. I felt the swell of heat in my chest, spreading until my body tremble with the elated sentiments rushing through my body. I hugged him closer and I knew I was smiling like a fool.

"I love you too."

The reply was soft and I almost didn't hear it. No sooner had the thought registered in my still sleep groggy mind did I laugh aloud and kiss Sasuke's slender neck with chuckles sprouting from the back of my throat and a mumbled 'I love you' settling on my lips.

He turned in my arms and looked up at me, a timid smile on his face. I kissed that smile, slowly, lingeringly. I let my lips move over his at a languid pace. "My mother said that you had a past." I said, leaving the statement open for further elaboration.

Sasuke laughed before saying; "Well you could say that; Minato and Kushina found me when I was eleven, as you know. But what came before that is the scariest."

I held my breath, he was going to tell me. "What happened to you?" I asked, cupping his cheek gently.

Sasuke sighed; "It was my father, he gave me up when my mother died in childbirth, or so my guardian told me. Robert wasn't the nicest of men, he would make me work hard and he beat me when I didn't do things right. He would always leer at me, and leave lingering touches on my body."

There was one day when I ripped the fishing net and tried to mend it on my own so I would not get into trouble, Robert found me, and he beat me within an inch of my life and then tried to rape me. It was then that my screams reached the ears of one of the other fisherman and he slammed to door open, shot Robert in the leg and picked me up and headed off to the nearest hospital. I lost consciousness by the time we got there."

By the time I woke up the man, Edward, was still there waiting beside my bed in the infirmary. When we finally left the hospital Edward took me to his cottage and I lived there for almost a year before Robert came looking for me. It was Edward who told me to run. I took the money he offered and ran as fast and far as I could. I managed to ride out of the town on a carriage that left for Parma. I don't know what happened to Edward."

It was thanks to the old man letting me ride on the carriage that I came even remotely close to Cleveland and your parents. I headed east and ended up hopelessly lost and half-starved by the time your parents found me." He ended his story and leaned forward for a kiss, which I gladly gave him. I relished the feel of his soft lips against mine.

I heard a distant neigh coming from the direction of our house and curiosity got the best of me and I stopped kissing. A gun shot rang through the distance and a scream drifted through the echoes of the gun shot. I stiffened before shooting up and hurriedly tugging on my clothes. Sasuke looked scared when I looked at him and with an underhand toss I gave him his clothes, which he quickly slipped on.

"Stay here. Don't go anywhere and don't make a sound. Wait till I come get you." I was about to turn around when someone crashed through the line of corn stalks. It was Kushina. She was in her nightgown and barefoot.

"Mother! What the hell is happening?" I said while holding my mother's tear stained face. She sobbed hysterically clutching to my shirt and tugging furiously.

"It's Fredrick! He's gone mad; he barged into the house gun raised. He shot Minato because he thought it was _you_." Kushina looked up at me before turning when another person crashed into the space beside us. In an instant I was in front of her, protecting her with my body.

"Relax, it's me Naruto." Minato panted as he bent over and rested one hand on his knee, the other holding his shoulder. There was blood soaking his nightshirt.

"I managed to grab my daggers, but that's it. Your gun wasn't loaded." He said holding up one of the sheathed weapons. I took it and slipped it into the hem of my pants. I thought better of it and handed it back to my father.

"Just in case. You might need them."

Minato took one of them and handed the other to Sasuke, who took it looking like it was the last thing on earth he'd rather be holding.

"You three get out of here. I'll deal with Fredrick." I said pointing in the direction of the forest behind the cornfield. Minato and Kushina looked hesitant. They probably knew it was for the best, I was the one that had the experience. But they still didn't want to leave their son behind to possibly be killed.

"NO! I'm not leaving you behind," Sasuke said, finally voicing his thoughts. "Naruto we can run together! He will get over it and we can return safely, like nothing ever happened." He ran to me and hugged me, burying his face into the cloth that covered my chest. "You could get killed." He whispered.

"Sasuke, I'll be fine. It's only Fredrick, I can handle one man." I said holding him close and kissing the top of his head. "I've killed many before this, remember?" I added when he looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. As much as I hated to say it, the statement was true. I'd killed plenty of men, so fending off just one was easy. I tipped his head up so that he could look at me but his eyes were closed. Tears leaked steadily out of them and I gently wiped them away. "Look at me." I said, tightening my grip on his chin. He opened his eyes.

"I _will_ survive. I will not die here, at the hands of some man with a petty grudge." I let go of his chin and ran my hand through his hair. "I promise I'll return." I said before kissing his lips again. He kissed back fiercely, tightly wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I have to go." I said when I pulled away. I pulled Sasuke's arms from around my neck and led him to Minato and Kushina. Minato wrapped an arm around Sasuke and they turned to go. There was a broken sob before 'I love you' drifted through the space between us.

"I love you, too, Sasuke." I said and turned and ran toward our house. I was lying when I said I could deal with one man. Not that I couldn't, it was that I didn't know how many men Fredrick brought along with him. He could have enough to overpower me. Not knowing left me at a disadvantage. The first thing I did when I reached the house was take the risk of walking into it. I walked in through the back door and headed to my room. There on the desk was my pack. I opened it hurriedly and pulled out my revolver and the bullets wrapped in cloth. Keeping my ears alert, I deftly loaded the gun and snapped the cylinder back into place.

I made careful strides back into the living room, stepping over the well-known areas where the floor would creak. When I saw that on one was in the living room I walked toward the front door and opening it silently I walked out keeping my eyes open for any movement. I was scared out of my mind, but not for myself. I was scared for the three people I held dearest who were running scared through the forest with an unknown amount of people chasing after them. First I had to get rid of Fredrick.

"There he is!" The man who screamed came barreling at me a shovel in his hands, he raised it high over his head and I shot him in the face. He fell to the ground with a muffled _thump_ and the shovel clanged against the graveled driveway. The other two men that came were a little tougher to get rid of. I kept my gun trained on the one with the rifle. With practiced ease a rolled to one side and avoided to shot that ensued. I aimed and fired and the man crumpled to the ground.

I swiftly turned and positioned my gun vertically, letting the spent percussion cap fall safely from the cylinder to the ground and cocked the hammer. I dodged the pitchfork aimed for my chest and turned kicking the offending weapon from the man's hands. It went flying clanking to a stop at the dirt road. The man put his hands up and whimpered when I pressed the muzzle of the gun to his temple.

"Tell me where Fredrick is." I ground out, pressing the gun harder when the man just sobbed and begged for mercy.

"He's a—after your family! He—he's going after them right now. I—if you don't go now he'll k—kill them!" he stuttered, his trembling impairing his speech. I pulled the gun from his head and the man sighed in relief. I brought the butt of the handle down hard and knocked him unconscious.

"_Damn it._"

~ **Sasuke** ~

I ran for my life. Again I was running away from a threat and someone I held dear was left behind to take care of the problem. Only God knew what happened to Edward, and now the same was happening to Naruto. He could be _dead._ The cornfield came to an end and I thought… that if I left it behind I would be doing the same to Naruto. It was where we were at the epitome of our intimacy. It was a silly thought. It didn't matter if it was the forest or the cornfield.

I was still leaving him behind.

I took in a deep breath and put my faith in Naruto. He would save us and himself. No harm would come to our family. We kept running through the forest and I felt that it was all a dream; I'd never been farther that a few feet into the cornfield. I'd never gone this far before. But I had to be strong. I had to show Naruto that I wasn't weak. I grabbed a hold of Minato's hand, along with Kushina. And I pulled, running faster than I ever thought possible. I felt a strum of energy flowing through my veins and I felt as if I could run forever, as if I could carry the world on my shoulders.

The burst of energy abruptly stopped when I heard hoof beats and I almost fell with the force of the fear that replaced the drive pumping through my veins.

Minato stopped running and faced the horse. He drew the dagger and sliced a large aperture in the beast's leg and it fell to the ground with a pained cry. The man that was riding the horse tumbled to the ground and rolled a few feet before stopping.

Kushina ran over to me and pulled me behind a tree where she cradled my head to her chest. "Shh." She said when my body began to shake with sobs.

"Fredrick, stop this nonsense!" Minato said, he said. I heard a groan and then a grunt of pain.

"Why would even think for a second that I would give up and let my pride be slandered the way it was?" Fredrick said, his rough voice sending shivers of fear running through my body. There was a gunshot and Minato cried out.

"Dammit, Fredrick! If you're going to kill me then do it! Leave Naruto and take me. Leave him and the rest of my family out of it."

I stared at the sheathed knife in my hand. I could very well kill this man.

"No I'm going to kill this bitch. Then I'll kill Naruto. But I'm going to do it while he's here and watching." Fredrick said, then laughed and fired another shot.

"No!" I moved Kushina aside and pulled the dagger from the sheath and flew from behind the tree.

_I won't let Naruto die!_

I lunged and the sharp point buried itself into the man's leg. Instead of letting go of the blade, like my mind was screaming for me to do, I pulled it down and sliced a deep groove in the man's thigh.

I felt Fredrick grab a handful of my hair and pull me up. He pushed me away and I stumbled across the clearing before landing painfully against a tree.

I felt Kushina wrap her arms around me and pull me closer.

"Naruto!"

~ **Naruto** ~

I ran back inside to reload my gun. I nearly dropped the bullets all over the floor in my haste to get them into the slots. I snapped the cylinder in place as I ran out the door. I ran down one gap in the stalks. I could see the blanket where Sasuke and I laid the night before. I jumped over it and kept up my strenuous sprint. I knew they had gone in a straight line, not deviating from the path.

My pace increased when I heard gunfire and my breaths came in long draws to keep the oxygen flowing through my body.

I breached the edge of the cornfield and raced over the leaf covered ground. Adrenaline kept my body going, along with drive to protect the ones I loved. The gun in my hand felt heavy but I didn't dare slow down to slip it into the ham of my pants. I slowed when I could see my father's blonde head.

I hid behind a thick tree and waited to see what was going on and where everyone was.

"Damn you little bitch! You'll see what happens to bitches that cross the line."

"_Naruto!_"

In that instant I twisted around the tree and lifted my gun, took aim and fired. The bullet flew from the barrel and hit Fredrick in the shoulder. The man cried out and almost dropped his gun. He recovered quickly and switched his gun to his other hand and lifted it. I still had my gun raised, ready to shoot.

"Well, Naruto. Nice to see you." Fredrick said a sneer decorating his face.

"Be quiet, you lunatic." I said furiously. "Why are you doing this?" I didn't dare let my eyes leave Fredrick. No matter how much I wanted to check to see if my family was okay.

"You have no idea the humiliation you put me through in that bar."

"_That's_ what this is about?" I asked. Lord, was this man mad?

When I voiced this his face creased with anger and he pulled the trigger. In his anger his aim was off and the bullet hit my shoulder. I was painful, I could barely keep my arm up. But I did and shot him. I didn't see where it landed because I collapsed as soon as the bullet hit.

~ **Sasuke** ~

"No!" As soon as I saw Naruto fall to the ground fury flowed in thick waves through my body and I ran, despite the fatigue. I grabbed the dagger and pushed the struggling man to the ground and climbed atop him and raised my two hands that gripped the dagger and brought them down with all my might. Again. Again and again. Over and over I plunged the knife into his body, not caring where I stabbed. Blood splattered everywhere, coating my skin in crimson spots.

A hand gripped my shoulder and I screamed. I dropped the knife and it hit the ground with a sharp _twang. _

"Shh. It's over, he's dead." Strong arms wrapped around my body and I breathed deeply of Naruto's scent, which I could still smell even over the pungent, coppery smell of blood. He pulled me from on top of the disfigured man and held me close. The rush of anger ceased and the exhaustion and fright caught up with me. I gripped Naruto tighter, happy that he was alive.

I felt another set of arms wrap around my body. Minato and Kushina hugged us, and we stayed that way for a while.

But I was happy. No one was dead. Everyone was living and breathing and _safe_.

~ **Naruto** ~

The hours spent in the hospital were stressful and painful alike. Extracting the bullets was excruciating, but I had done it before, so I knew what to expect. Minato and I had both lost a lot of blood and had to stay in the infirmary for the last few days of my visit. When the letter came for my return I was still in bed recovering.

I'd had to pack up and leave the next morning.

"You come back in one piece, son." Minato said, patting my back. I kissed my mother's soft cheek and hugged her close.

"I love you both." I said when they each wrapped their comforting arms around me.

I turned to Sasuke, he was crying silently. "I'll miss you." he said.

"Me too. I promise I'll return." I said, caressing Sasuke's cheek. I had to head back to the Harrisburg Camp, per order of Colonel Ahntrum. I hated to leave, but I had to.

"I believe you." Sasuke said and wrapped his arms around my neck. He stood on his toes to kiss me and I laughed before dipping my head to capture soft lips.

Kissing Sasuke one last time I pulled away, turned and mounted Spur, when I looked back Sasuke was wiping his tears with his shirt. "I'll write to you." he said.

"So will I, goodbye Sasuke."

"Goodbye Naruto."

I pulled on one side of the reins and spurred the horse on. As I trotted down the road I felt happy. There was a reason to want to. Survive that is.

And he was waiting for me in the white little house beside the cornfield.

The End 

**I hope you liked the action! :D I tried real hard on the fighting part :P Sorry if it was gory… I might write an epilogue! I don't know yet what it will be.**

**REVIEW~! Pleeze…**

**AkurnaSkulblaka :D**


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